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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. chip — to eat
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. tear — to rip
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pitch — completely
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lean — thin
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. chip — for betting
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — a weight
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. lean — to bend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com